Parashat Terumah (Donation)

Shemot (Exodus) 25:1–27:19

In our reading this week, we read of one of the most important and well-known items in God’s tabernacle - the Menorah:

Then you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand and its base and its shaft are to be made of hammered work; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers shall be of one piece with it.  And six branches shall go out from its sides; three branches of the lampstand from its one side, and three branches of the lampstand from its other side. Three cups shall be shaped like almond blossoms in the one branch, a bulb and a flower, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms in the other branch, a bulb and a flower — so for six branches going out from the lampstand; and in the lampstand four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its ¹bulbs and its flowers. And a bulb shall be under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the thirdpair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. Their bulbs and their branches shall be of one piece with it; all of it shall be one piece of hammered work of pure gold. Then you shall make its lamps seven in number; and they shall mount its lamps so as to shed light on the space in front of it. And its snuffers and their trays shall be of pure gold. It shall be made from a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils. And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which was shown to you on the mountain.”
Exodus 25:31–40

I previously wrote about how Yeshua is the "face" of the menorah. In this blog entry, I would like to share some more thoughts about the importance of the Menorah itself and how its placement within the Tabernacle points to Yeshua.

The Menorah's primary purpose is to shine light; it illuminates the darkness. I love the way it connects to prophecy, as Isaiah 9:1 speaks of the fact that those who walk in darkness (chaos, slavery to sin, hopelessness, etc.) will not only see a great light, but will also be touched by the light. This is a picture of what Messiah Yeshua would be, especially as we read in Matthew 4:14-16 that He is the fulfillment of Isaiah 9:1.

The Menorah's primary purpose was to shine light in the Tabernacle, which was the dwelling place of God's spirit when the children of Israel wandered the desert. We are also given a picture of Messiah as a light in the future, when the New Jerusalem will be established. In Revelation 21, we read about the New Jerusalem, which will be our eternal dwelling place with Messiah. Yeshua, the Lamb, will be the eternal lamp or Menorah, which is the source of light in the city:

And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it. And in the daytime (for there shall be no night there) its gates shall never be closed;  and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.  And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. And on either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His bond-servants shall serve Him; and they shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. And there shall no longer be any night; and they shall not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall illumine them; and they shall reign forever and ever.
Revelation 21:23–22:5

This portion of Scripture always touches me! It is an extraordinary picture of what will be in eternity and I, for one, cannot wait. Isn't it amazing how it all comes together? Yeshua is the eternal lamp - Menorah- that reflects the shining face of the Father; a day is coming when His eternal light will shine and draw all the nations to Himself! Let's not grow weary in waiting for this day, or lose sight of His purpose for us until then.

In the same way, let your light shine before men so they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16

Shabbat Shalom,
Moran